


All These Years

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Child Abuse, College, Elementary School, F/F, F/M, Fluff, High School, Long ass fic, M/M, Middle School, Modern AU, Or like a drunk driving accident when they're teens, Preschool, Present Tense, Short Chapters, but also pretty straight, but like we're all good in the end I promise, might throw in a pregnancy scare, referenced homophobia, super gay, third person, way too long of a fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-10-22 03:39:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 5,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10689003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It all starts when five-year-old Robin is sent to preschool, finally able to interact with someone other than her abusive father.Follow sixteen years in the lives of the main Awakening cast, starting in preschool and ending at college.This is gonna be one hell of a long fic, but I am determined to complete it before I graduate.





	1. January 1, Year 1

**Author's Note:**

> First off,, yeah that's a lot of chapters. They probably won't be very long, but hey, how else am I gonna get all of em done?  
> I don't know yet what all of the pairings will be, but just about all of the playable characters from Awakening will be in this and they're all gonna be friggin awesome. I'm taking suggestions for scenarios and shippings if you have any, since there's a lot to fill here.  
> Also, sorry. I'm terrible at writing how little kids talk. :'3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin's first day of preschool goes better than expected.

Robin has never had a friend.

Her mother is dead; she never even met her. She passed during Robin’s birth, ever-content with the sacrifice for the sake of her precious baby girl’s life being intact.

Robin’s father, however, never got over his wife’s death. He spurned his daughter’s needs when she was an infant, cursed and spat at her as soon as she could walk, and hit her as soon as she was old enough to understand the words “tell no one.” He was a cruel and spiteful man, turned bitter by the loss of his love, and unable to hold any care or concern for his child. The only reason he didn't give her up was because she had her mother’s eyes; every time he decided to send her away he would look into them and soften. She was all that remained of his wife, but she was still not her, and for that he despised her but could never let her go.

When Robin was five they moved to the capital city of Ylisse, right in the middle of winter. Her father decided that the best way to get her out of the house would be to enroll her in a preschool program, and although it was late in the school year and she was a rather slow and distant child, they accepted her.

Now she stands at the edge of the story mat, anxiously following everything the teacher says (for she knows the consequences of disobedience), eyes darting nervously around the room at all the other kids here. She doesn't understand how the concept of sharing toys works, or how most of the toys themselves work; she cannot read at all and does not even know the alphabet. In fact, she can hardly speak at all, and when she can she often chooses not to anyway. She is alone during playtime as the other children mingle and laugh, and she doesn't even cry when a little brown-haired boy walks up to her and rather harshly tells her that she has to _play_ because it is _playtime_ and she is doing it _absolutely and completely wrong_.

As the teacher is scolding this child- Robin hears her call him Frederick- another boy takes notice and trots over to her, a welcoming smile plastered on his face. (The little girl beside him looks up in surprise, then back at the puzzle they were putting together and pouts slightly.)

Robin stares warily at the kid in front of her, unsure how to react when he says, “Hi! I'm Chrom.”

Realizing that she doesn't understand his greeting, he adds (still smiling), “What's your name?”

The pale-haired girl slouches against the wall, feeling threatened by this ‘Chrom’ despite the fact that he's incredibly friendly and at least an inch shorter than her. Still, when a few seconds go by and he doesn't leave, she quickly and quietly mumbles, “R-Robin,” under her breath.

The boy’s smile widens. “Hello, Robin! You're new. Don't listen to Frederick, he's just a bossy meanie ‘cuz he's already six.”

Chrom grabs Robin’s hand, much to her shock, but she is unable to pull away as he leads her over to the girl he was talking to before. “This is Sumia. She's really nice. Robin, do you wanna help us put our puzzle together?”

Robin peers at the small jigsaw pieces. From what she can tell, they form a lion. Robin does like lions…

“O-okay.” She stutters, but it's louder than her words before, and as she assists them with the puzzle (they don't seem to mind the fact that this is her first time doing such a thing), she slowly begins to believe that these are not the kind of people who wish to hurt her.


	2. January 2, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumia is curious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaay

“Do you fall down a lot too?”

“What?” Robin glances up from the paper upon which she is struggling to write her own name, startled by Sumia’s question. The other girl had barely spoken yesterday, and when she did, it was exclusively to Chrom. Then again, to be fair, Robin was rather quiet too. 

“You have a lotta bruises, like me,” Sumia repeats. “Do you fall down a lot too?”

The taller of the two remembers her father’s warnings, remembers what she cannot say. 

“Yes,” she lies. 

Sumia smiles at this; she feels she has found a friend with whom she can relate. Robin just goes back to attempting to understand the shapes and lines that the teacher calls ‘letters’, her various scrapes and bruises seeming to burn against her skin.


	3. January 3, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin isn't a big fan of Vaike, the rambunctious blonde who is constantly jabbering about this, that, and the other thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already written a bunch of future chapters, just gotta work my way up to them lol~  
> I'm splitting my time between this, Paper Planes, my other requests, drawing, homework, playing Mystic Messenger, and complaining about pain. This is taking up more time than anything else at the moment though, haha.  
> I'm super excited for this story, and I hope some other people will be as well once it really gets rolling ;w; I write these for myself of course, but I also share them in hopes that I can make someone else smile or laugh while reading my goofy gay fanfics XD  
> Without further ado, here is chapter 3~

 

Robin does not like Vaike.

 

She doesn’t like how loud he is, or how he runs around from one person to the next like a ricocheting bullet. Therefore, when he challenges Chrom to a fight with the faux weapons from the preschool’s toy bin, she gladly stands with Sumia and cheers against the rambunctious blonde from the sidelines. She knows Chrom will win; Sumia and Miriel and everyone says so.

 

And that’s good and all, but she’s especially smug about the disappointment on Vaike’s face when he loses, rather than the happiness on Chrom’s when he wins.

 

However, she is not prepared for Vaike to run up to her and yell, “I challenge thee!” like some kind of crazy person.

 

She stands in surprise for a moment, unsure of what to say. (She doesn’t even know what ‘thee’ means.)

 

Then she’s being pushed towards the brightly colored plastic box full of toys by Sully, and before she knows what’s going on, half of the class is chanting over and over for her to take Vaike’s proposal. Only a few stand by quietly, including Frederick, who looks unimpressed; Miriel, who appears sympathetic for the slightly younger girl, and Chrom, who flashes her an encouraging grin.

 

Robin balls her tiny hands into fists and determinedly pulls a plastic sword from the bin.

 

Sully, Stahl, and Virion erupt into whoops and hollers at this action. Robin shakily holds the fake blade up at her opponent, who swings a foam axe over his shoulder as showily as possible. 

 

She’s not used to so much attention, but everyone is rooting for her…

 

Within two seconds of the battle’s start, he’s whacked the sword clean out of her hands.

 

Robin squeaks and stumbles backwards. To the side, Sumia visibly cringes, and Robin’s face flushes with embarrassment. To lose so quickly in front of her peers, and only three days into preschool? 

 

Spotting a bucket to Vaike’s left, she dodges around him and starts chucking plastic balls in his general direction.

 

“Fireball!” se yells, and Sully laughs and claps for her.

 

“Hit him in the head!” The redhead squeals, and Robin obliges, nailing her challenger in the forehead.

 

It is at this exact moment that the teacher walks into the playroom.

 

While most of the children quickly disperse at the sound of “clean up”, Chrom stays with Robin to help her put everything away. As they scoop piles of plastic red spheres back into the container, he whispers to her, “That was so cool.”

 

Robin smiles to herself, not even minding that she has to sit in the ‘Cool-Down Corner’ during snacktime for what Ms. Auburn claims to be ‘disruptive behavior’. Who cares about Ms. Auburn, anyways?

  
Robin’s classmates think  _ she’s cool. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? In preschool, if any kid thinks you're cool, that makes you the damn fucking coolest ever in your naive five-year-old mindset. Let Robin have this. She deserves it.
> 
> I'm always open to comments, so if you have any questions, suggestions, or just feel like saying something about the story, hit me up!  
> (Please.)  
> (Please comments are my drugs.)


	4. January 4, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin can't get the hang of the alphabet, no matter how hard she tries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I should give some context on who all is where and how old they are::  
> The people in Robin's grade are: Robin herself, Chrom, Frederick, Sumia, Sully, Virion, Stahl, Miriel, and Cordelia  
> People who are in their grade but not in their class/school yet are: Panne, Henry, Gaius, Libra, Tharja, and Say'ri  
> People who are a grade below them are: Lissa, Ricken, Maribelle, and Donnel  
> People who are a grade above them are: Emmeryn, Olivia, Kellam, Lon'qu, Nowi, Gregor, Cherche, Anna, Basilio, Flavia, and Tiki  
> Some were based on canon, some I just decided because I have certain plans for them. :P Also, some may be shifting grades due to being held back or being brought up for being hella smart. And also, a couple of them aren't really important in the story, but they will all be mentioned at one point or another, so I'm listing 'em here.

Despite her best efforts, Robin cannot spell her name.

 

She tries, oh  _ gods  _ she tries, to understand what all these weird little dots and squiggles on her paper are, but as many times as the teacher patiently tries to point out what each little jumble of lines means, Robin finds that they remain just that- jumbles.

 

Ms. Auburn shakes her head as the five-year-old once again begins to tear up. Everyone else can write their full names, forwards and backwards. They can write C-A-T and D-O-G and things like ‘I run fast’ or ‘I play games’. She feels stupid compared to them. Why is she so dumb?

 

As Robin’s lip quivers, the teacher rests a hand on her shoulder and sighs. “It’s okay, Robin. You are very smart, you know. I’m just not sure why you don’t know at least some of this already… I’ll call your father and ask about him giving you some extra help at home, how about that?”

 

The little girl gasps and grabs her teacher’s sleeve. “N-no! I can do it alone! I’ll just try harder!”

 

By the end of the day, she can recognize most of the vowels and a few consonants. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

 

And it’s far better than her father knowing how dumb his daughter really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Robin... I'm a bad person~


	5. January 5, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin's father surprises her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing my best to write like a five-year-old... ugh it's difficult  
> But I've already started some of the future chapters so I can't give up now~

Robin is surprised to hear that her first week of school has come to an end. This saddens her until Chrom finds his way to her side while they're putting on their coats and asks if she'd like to come over to his house over the weekend. Sumia will be there too, he says. (Robin is indifferent on that part, but she definitely wants to see Chrom's house, especially if it means avoiding her own). 

 

He drags her over to his mother, then proceeds to make Robin point out her father so he can drag them both over to  _ him _ . 

 

Robin nervously stands by as their parents talk, not surprised at how easily her father smiles and speaks with the blonde woman. He always acts so different around other people; it’s how she knows that she must be doing something wrong for him not to treat her the same way. What does startle her is when Validar (her father) accepts the invitation for Robin to have a playdate at Chrom’s house tomorrow, and how gently he takes her hand as he leads her to the car while she waves goodbye to her friend.

 

What Robin is has yet to understand is that her father has good days and bad days, and instead feels that as his daughter she must do her best always, to make herself worthy of him. She’s sure right now, so sure, that he is getting better. She’s positive that she has no need to be scared anymore.

 

She’s so,  _ so  _ sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a bad person writing this story XD  
> Help save me I'm a victim to the feeeeels


	6. January 6, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin meets Chrom's little sister for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my chapter descriptions are so bland and my chapters themselves are so short ;; but hey there's a lot of them to write, don't judge me too harshly~ XD

Chrom’s little sister is interesting.

 

She’s only four; and yet she’s surrounded by other children when Robin’s father drops her off outside their house. (It’s a lovely house, only three blocks away from theirs but still managing to be in a much nicer neighborhood.) Validar walks with his daughter to someone who is presumably Chrom’s father standing in the yard watching the kids, who gives them a friendly grin as they approach and heartily shakes the other man’s hand in greeting. A few moments later her father is gone, and Robin is being led inside by the stranger, who says a few words to his wife and then goes back outside to make sure the younger kids don’t get into any trouble. The woman smiles warmly at the little girl and continues to guide her down the hall and through a doorway into the designated playroom.

 

There Chrom and Sumia are building a house out of LEGO bricks, but Chrom quickly stops and waves Robin over as soon as he sees her enter the vicinity. She smiles nervously and sits down with them, running her small hands over a red four-by-two brick, unsure exactly what to do. 

 

It turns out she needn’t worry about asking, because at that moment the coat-clad blonde she saw in the front yard just a few minutes ago comes bursting into the room, devoid of her winter wear and trailed by the handful of children who were helping her build a snowman just a little while ago. 

 

Sumia and Chrom don’t look surprised at the intrusion, though perhaps a bit annoyed; still, as the little girl settles herself beside Robin with a bright smile on her face, the whole situation seems to shift from unsure to absolutely  _ bubbling _ . She turns to face Robin and says, “Hi-hi! I’m Lissa! Chrom is my big brother, but don’t listen to him. Are you his new friend? He said he had a new friend coming over today!”

 

The pale five-year-old recoils slightly at the sudden outburst, but quickly settles in as the self-proclaimed Lissa rabbles on and on without stop. She introduces her friends all in one breath (“Ricken-Donny-Mari-I-mean-Maribelle”) and continues without a pause, keeping Robin so distracted that before she knows it, she’s helped the small group construct an entire LEGO town, complete with semi-accurate minifigures of everyone wandering throughout the various miscolored houses and stores. 

 

In Robin’s own opinion, when her father arrives it’s far too early, and though she knows she’ll see Chrom again at school in a few days, she finds herself hoping that she’ll be able to come back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *finger guns* guess who just wanted an excuse to put Lissa, Ricken, and legos in a chapter? I'm such a loser lol


	7. January 7, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not getting better.

She was so sure. He was getting better.

 

Today is not one of the good days.

 

As Robin hides behind her closed bedroom door, taking deep breaths to keep from breaking into tears, clutching the side of her head where the dark purple bruise is already starting to show, she suddenly isn’t very sure anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one week down, 833 more to go! yaaaay me :'D  
> I promise this will get 10x more interesting once they get a bit older, but for now I'm doing my best to make it good


	8. January 8, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She just has to be good enough, right?

When Ms. Auburn asks where the injury came from, Robin averts her gaze and mumbles something about running into a tree, since that's what her father always says to tell people when they ask.

_“Nobody can know.”_

The little girl waits until her teacher has walked away to let out the shuddering sigh creepy up into her chest. She just has to be better. She tells herself that over and over, but it must not be working. She needs to find a way to be prove she's good enough.

She sits down determinedly at the arts and crafts table, grabbing a piece of white copy paper and a blue crayon. Chrom moves curiously away from the puzzle he and Sumia are working on (it's a different one this time, a friendly-looking dragon), abandoning his brunette friend to inspect Robin's actions. “What’chya doing?”

Robin doesn't look away from the alphabet poster hanging on the wall as she answers. “Writing my name.”

The only problem is that she only knows a few letters of the alphabet, and though the sound of her given name implies that there must be a ‘b’ in there somewhere, it can't be completely made up of ‘c’s and various vowels.

As she studies the poster, Robin hears Chrom drag a chair up beside hers and scramble into it.

“R,” he says.

She glances over at him in surprise. “What?”

He points at the poster, then at her paper. “Ms. Auburn says that r is for running, race cars, and robins, so your name probly starts with an r.”

Robin nods, not completely getting his logic but not about to doubt him, and sloppily copies an uppercase ‘R’ down.

They go through a cycle of the alphabet until Robin can almost remember it herself already, and are able to (somehow, with much struggling) write her entire first name down on the paper. Chrom adds some little doodles of stars in the corners, and Robin turns the ‘o’ into a smiley face, both working until the picture is beautiful enough to impress any parent ever in the history of the world. (That's what Chrom says, anyways.)

When she anxiously reveals her hard work to her father, Robin gets a slight par on the head and a magnet to stick it to the fridge with. She painstakingly reaches as high as she can on her tip-toes to place it right in the middle.

When she inspects herself in the mirror later that night while brushing her teeth, she swears the bruise is already fading out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once I don't have much to say. Yay for day eight I guess. I'm thinking maybe I can finish January by the end of this week~


	9. January 9, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lissa has a lot of ideas, and not all of them are good ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to spread out and focus on different characters now that I've established Robin. And since I quite like Lissa and her little friend group, have a mini-catastrophe that occurs while her dear big brother and sister are busy at school.

Since Lissa is what her mother calls “rambunctious but exceptional for her age”, she is allowed to attempt just about any of her crazy schemes that she wishes as long as one of her parents deems it safe.

Unfortunately, when they put “building a tower to the sky” under this category, they assumed that their zany daughter and her friends would quickly tire of the idea and find something else to do. And while that may have been true of the latter, once Lissa puts her mind to something, _goshdangit_ , she will do whatever it takes to reach her goal.

...Which is bad news for poor Donnel, who chooses to stand below the shaky contraption and spot the slightly younger girl just in case the moat of leaves the children have heaped around the “tower” doesn't catch her if she falls.

And the second Lissa starts clambering up the haphazardly arranged pile of sticks, it is clear to everyone involved that she is _most definitely going to fall._

When the twigs begin to snap and quiver under Lissa’s weight, Maribelle shrieks and jumps backwards to avoid her lovely pink playdress getting torn, and Ricken starts to wave his hands frantically up and down (as is his tendency when his friends do something stupid that could get them all killed). But Donnel runs right in and yells up for Lissa not to worry, he'll catch her.

When the structure completely crumbles, Lissa lands safely in the leaves, falling into them like one would if they were taking a running jump into bed. (Only straight down.) (and with leaves.)

Donnel stands up a moment later as well, pushing away the rubble on top of him. He dusts himself off, completely unharmed…

...except for a stick poking straight out of his cheek.

Ricken faints right then.

Lissa's mother come running out of the house when they hear their little girl screaming because she's convinced that she just killed her friend. (The stick isn't actually impaled in Donnel’s skin. It just looks that way. It's stuck to his face.)

It takes a lot of begging from Lissa to convince her parents, Ricken's parents, and Ricken himself that he should still be allowed to come over after that. (That fall when he passed out left a pretty nasty goose egg on the back of his head.)

Eventually they give in, because after all, she does make a very good argument. And until they get old enough for school, Ricken doesn't have any other people to hang out with all day.

Lissa always gets away with her schemes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *quietly squeaks*
> 
> I really like Ricken


	10. January 10, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin only accepts tutoring from one person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a bunch last night, so here. Gonna try to get a ton more done today. *finger guns*

Robin isn't big on shapes.

Really, she's not big on anything. Now that her classmates have gotten used to her and vice versa, she's become very proud, borderline stubborn. No, _absolutely_ stubborn. And when she gets frustrated with whatever Ms. Auburn is trying to teach her, she has a tendency to just give up and throw it down on the table. (Granted, she doesn't just throw it at someone else like Vaike, but still.)

The only person she's willing to listen to at these times is Chrom, and so he has become her stand-in teacher. Thank the gods he's okay with it; otherwise Robin would never learn anything in preschool.

When he points at a box and asks her what it is, she says simply, “A square.”

He shakes his head. “Rectangle.”

Robin puffs her cheeks out in indignation. “It has four sides. Square.”

“Yes, but see? They're not all the same,” Chrom explains calmly, pointing at the drawing. “So it's a rectangle, not a square.”

When Ms. Auburn told her this yesterday, Robin kicked the chair leg and stomped away.

Now she just sighs and nods, giving in. “Okay.”

She still doesn't like shapes, though.


	11. January 11, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is an orphanage downtown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOO! Now I have an excuse to add some of my favorite characters~  
> Since a lot of them are presumably or canonically orphaned, I might keep some people's parents alive just so I don't go overboard. But don't worry, I've got stuff planned.

The orphanage doesn't have preschool.

They have the volunteers who come every Tuesday and Thursday to teach the kids basics, and try to keep them motivated for when they'll finally get to go to public school next year.

Most of the children are downright depressing, huddling in the background and avoiding the adults’ gazes. Kids like Tharja, who are here because they were thrown out or abused by or “need a break from” their parents. They don't like it when, on this particular Thursday, a nice man named Mr. Evans visits to introduce all of them to arts and crafts.

When he sets up easels and tells everyone to paint what they like, some of them just smear paint on the canvas, and some of them don't do anything at all.

One little boy, though, grins right through his work, humming to himself as he contentedly spreads impressively even brushstrokes over the paper, until Mr. Evans walks by and whistles. “You have a gift, young man. This is wonderful.”

Henry just smiles to himself and keeps painting his crow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon that Henry is an artist  
> Check  
> Gosh I love him so much


	12. January 12, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin is beginning to get tired of Sumia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> confession: I really don't like Sumia. :/ Just like how I really don't like Sully or Cordelia. I actually like her personality, but her pairing with Chrom always pisses me off, because if that bitch thinks she can touch my exalt she has another thing comin'.  
> Anyways, I think Robin and Sumia are gonna develop a kind of rivalry over the years. And it starts right now, with Sumia and her goddamn horses.  
> (I have nothing against horses though. they're pretty cool.)

Sumia likes horses far too much.

 

This is what Robin decides when the teacher asks what everybody’s favorite animals are, she starts going on and on about how to take care of a horse. She talks about it for  _ so long  _ that they run out of time, and Robin never gets to tell everyone that she really likes kitties.

 

After the fact, all of the kids run up to tell Sumia how smart she is and to ask her if she has her own horse, leaving Robin alone to angrily chew her celery and peanut butter.

 

Robin doesn’t even  _ like  _ celery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robin feels me.   
> All she wants is to talk about kitties...


	13. January 13, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miriel is the cleverest person in her class, but even she needs to relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say Miriel is underappreciated, but I think it's mostly just that I don't appreciate her. She's a good character, I can just never get myself interested in leveling her up.  
> So now she gets her own chapter~

Miriel is aware that she’s the smartest person in her class.

 

It’s not that she thinks she’s better than them. She just _knows_ that she _stands above them_ where _intellectual standards_ _are concerned._

 

And it’s nothing personal; she’s quite fond of most of them. (Well, some of them.) But sometimes they just get on her nerves, what with all of their  _ talking  _ and  _ running _ and…   _ yelling _ . Gods, Miriel hates yelling. 

 

Which is why during quiet time, when all of the other kids are napping or whispering to each other, Miriel curls up in the story corner with one of her books. She’s already reading stories on her own, and whenever Ms. Amber offers to read aloud to her, she waves her away dismissively.

 

Miriel likes quiet time. It’s her favorite time of day.

 

She just wishes that Vaike understood that quiet time means he’s supposed to be  _ quiet _ .

 

But because he doesn’t, her  _ absolute favorite  _ time of day is when she gets to go home, and since it’s Saturday, she doesn’t even have to  _ leave _ . 

 

So today, Miriel curls up with her guinea pig in her bean bag chair… And turns on the T.V.

 

Even geniuses need breaks sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, she only watches educational shows! She really likes Little Einsteins.   
> XD  
> P.S. her guinea pig is brown and white and his name is Splotches. VwV


	14. January 14, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blizzards don't care who they hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deep breath in*

It snows. 

 

It snows  _ so much _ .

 

It snows so much, they close the roads. 

 

Because of all the ice and slush.

 

But some people are still at work.

 

And they need to get home to their kids.

 

But there’s so much snow.

 

So, so much snow.

 

You can’t even see the highway.

 

And when you can’t see the highway, it gets really hard to drive.

 

And there’s  _ so much _ . 

 

_ So much snow. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
> when I said I had plans for some of the orphans I meant it >:3333  
> Oh gods I feel so awful


	15. January 15, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where did he go?

 

Chrom doesn’t come to school today.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy putting these precious characters through pain,, someone stop me I'm awful  
> gosh poor kid


	16. January 16, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin doesn't get it.

He isn’t here today either.

 

Everyone is so somber. When Robin nudges Sumia and asks her what’s wrong, the little girl just glares at her and says, “Don’t act stupid.”

 

Ms. Amber gives her a stern look and puts a gentle hand on Robin’s back. 

 

“Chrom’s mother was in an accident, honey. He just needs to spend some time with his family until everything is better, okay?”

 

Robin nods, bewildered, though she doesn’t really understand.

 

As the day wears on, she can’t get it out of her head.

 

_ What is an “accident”? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor girl,, doesn't know


	17. January 17, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all for nothing.

Chrom still hasn't showed up…

Robin is getting better at her shapes, but she just can't bring herself to be happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't write for half a week then got a crazy burst of inspiration and scribbled out a ton of chapters last night so I'll be posting all day XD


	18. January 18, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets better.

Chrom is back today.

Ms. Auburn says to leave him alone, and everyone obeys her. But seeing her friend huddled in a corner, completely separate from everyone else, Robin is simply incapable of resisting the urge to walk over and sit beside him.

Across the room at the toy box area, Sumia and Frederick both shoot her dirty looks. She hardly notices, instead putting her hand gently on Chrom's knee.

He looks up in surprise, his face red and tear-stained. “What do you want?”

Robin stares into his eyes. “Are you okay?”

He turns his head away. “Go away.”

“What's wrong?” She presses, very aware of at least some part of what is wrong.

Chrom looks like he wants to protest further, but then his shoulders slump. “My… My m-mom is…”

Robin’s eyes widen. “Dead?” She whispers, partly because she doesn't want anyone to nag her about bothering Chrom, but also because it feels like the kind of word she should say out loud.

He just buries his face in his knees and sobs.

The little girl scooches closer to him, until their toes are touching.

“So is mine,” she says quietly.

He looks up again. “Really?”

Robin just nods.

“Does it… Does it still make you sad?”

“Sometimes.” She shrugs. “But I do miss her.”

Chrom nods this time. “I miss mine too.”

They don't talk for the rest of playtime. They just sit there in silence.

It feels like enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay comfort


	19. January 19, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whatever.

Chrom only speaks to Robin today. When Sumia tries to ask him how he's feeling, he just clutches the other girl's arm until she says, “He doesn't really feel like talking, but he's okay.”

“I wasn't asking you, though,” Sumia says, and while it sounds like it's supposed to be sarcastic, it just feels meek coming from her.

Whatever. All Robin cares about is Chrom not being sad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sumia can go fuck herself for all I care
> 
> ^^^EDIT  
> As some people have pointed out, I've been bashing Sumia rather unfairly, and for that I apologize. I actually like her character a lot, I just tend to get caught up in the writing. I promise, I intend to portray her fairly and canonly, and not make her any kind of punching bag for my bias. Thank you for your concern, and sorry if I came off as a bit of a bitch for it ^^'


	20. January 20, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What about Lissa?

Lissa hasn't moved since they got home from the hospital.

When someone knocks at the door, she doesn't look up.

When her father lets someone quietly enter the room, she doesn't budge.

When a small weight joins her on the bed, she doesn't stop crying.

And when Maribelle moves closer until Lissa’s arms are wrapped around her waist and she's weeping into her shoulder, she doesn't let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loooove Lissa  
> ..Which means I have to like Maribelle by default


	21. January 21, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What about Emmeryn?

Emmeryn hasn't cried yet.

She doesn't intend to.

She's going to be strong, for her little brother and sister. For her father.

For her mother.

For herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm not mistaken, by halfway through the game, Chrom and Lissa are the only ones still alive in their family >:3  
> To canon or not to canon? Tell me, do you guys think I should kill off Emmeryn and their father later on, or just one of them, or not at all?


	22. January 22, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumia doesn't like this.

Today, it's almost like nothing happened.

Chrom is cheery and playful again. Sumia acts like he was never gone, the only breaks in her act being when her gaze flickers anxiously to Robin, who at this point is just another part of the group.

She doesn't care much for Robin anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously  
> Screw Sumia


	23. January 23, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sumia and Robin are trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY BOLOGNA ITS BEEN LIKE A MONTH SINCE I POSTED A SINGLE THING IM SORRY
> 
> I don't plan in the slightest on giving up on any of my stories, I promise. I'll finish them all, even if it takes me all the way through highschool.   
> On that note, I have chapters for most of them at least started. As soon as school ends (this week!!) I'll be posting a ton, I swear on Grima's grave!
> 
> On another note, I got several comments on my last chapter politely pointing out that I seem a bit abusive towards Sumia, and warning me to not let that turn her into my own personal character punching bag. I just wanted to reassure everyone that I have no intentions of letting my own personal opinions of any character affect how I treat them in the story. I want to give everyone a happy (but realistic) ending, despite how I feel about them. I want my writing to be good and I want it to be enjoyable to fans of every character, and beating Sumia up simply because I dislike her is totally a dick move, I know.   
> In fact, I do quite like Sumia, I just hate how a good chunk of her character depends solely on Chrom. I'm not a big fan of when creators base a certain character almost completely off of their relationship alone, as it makes it feel forced and often doesn't serve the character justice. (See: Spock/Uhura from the new Star Trek movies.)  
> The situation is the same- I like both characters a lot! But the way their relationship is defined often makes me despise the pairing and in turn, not like the character who's being used as a plot device as much.   
> That was a bit long, sorry. The point is, I plan on giving Sumia a good love interest and a good life, as do I with the rest of the crew. (Well, some may be independent. Because like I said, shippings that feel forced are no fun). But I assure you, I won't screw Sumia or any other character over due to my own opinion, ever, in any story. If I disliked a character that much, I simply wouldn't include them, so they wouldn't end up with an unfairly biased storyline.   
> In fact, I love writing Sumia's character. And in the end, I think she and Robin will probably get over their silly fight for Chrom and become good friends. Bros before hos, right? XD

Robin and Sumia may not be huge fans of each other, but they're willing to fake it like nobody's business if it makes Chrom happy.

And it makes Chrom happy.

The only times you can see through their discomfort with each other is the occasional disgruntled look Robin throws at Sumia when she's not looking, but that's really more of a Robin thing in general, because she does the same to Vaike. (And Frederick. Really, Robin doesn't get along so great with everyone here.)

Robin and Sumia make do, for Chrom's sake.

Because though he seems fine again, they both know that the last thing he needs- the last thing he deserves- is having to lose any friends due to their own pettiness.


	24. January 24, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin is really learning stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh it just feels so good to be updating   
> Maybe if I really grind I can finish January and February by the end of June...  
> I HAVE FAITH IN MYSELF

Wednesday.

Today is Wednesday, which Robin knows because Chrom has been helping her with her days. She knows that tomorrow is Thursday, and after that is Friday, and so on and so forth. Now that she understands how days work, it's a lot easier to know when the weekend will happen- while counting is her strong suit, Robin was getting confused trying to remember how many days of school she had left. (She wasn't the best at remembering.)

Apparently the other kids have understood days for a long time, but that doesn't prevent Robin from being proud of her accomplishment.

Especially since Chrom says that he is too. 


	25. January 25, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What day is it today?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since January 25 is my birthday, I decided to make it Robin's birthday, too. Just made sense to me.

Thursday!

 

Robin knows that now. 

 

Isn't it exciting?

 

She doesn't say it out loud, but today is important in another way- today Robin turns six.

 

She wants to surprise her friends- and Frederick, who might finally stop bossing her around so much- with her brand-new and super-cool age, so she waits until the teacher announces it during snack time to let the cat out of the bag.

The class sings 'Happy Birthday' to her with great enthusiasm, and she can hardly contain her excitement when Ms. Auburn lets her blow out a _real life candle_ on a _real life birthday cupcake,_ made just for her. (Or so she chooses to believe.)

 

During playtime, Chrom asks if she's having a party. Robin is confused- why would she do that? But as he explains that most kids have parties on their birthdays, she gets it. 

 

Birthday parties are planned by parents. 

 

Parents who buy piñatas and goodie bags and rent out skating rinks or bowling allies. 

 

Parents not like Robin's father, who would probably never even dream of walking past the streamer display at the dollar store- parents who have kids that they think are good enough. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch  
> The feels  
> Will she ever see herself as good enough?


	26. January 26, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin gets an anonymous gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohdyopcufucogoxoycy  
> I have this brilliant idea ya see

When Robin gets to school today, she goes to put her jacket into her cubby, only to find that it is already occupied.

Sitting in it is a small box, roughly five by six inches, messily covered in purple wrapping paper and crudely taped in various places to hold it together. Curious (and excited), she tears the gift open to find a sparkly purple barrette in it, as well as a scribbled-out note that says something she can't quite decipher, other than the fact that it has her name in it.

Even after careful reading and rereading, she can only sound out the first word as happy. Upon bringing the letter to Ms. Auburn, Robin is informed that it says, ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN’. Nothing on the note or box indicates who it could be from. Robin, pleased with the gift and secretly excited that she not only got a birthday present but a mystery birthday present, wears the barrette in her hair for the rest of the day, and carefully sets it on her bedside when she gets home to wear it again tomorrow.

She doesn't notice the person smiling shyly to themselves when they see her proudly wearing their gift. Maybe she never will. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robin has a secret admirerrrrrrr  
> It could be literally anyone in the class  
> I think I know who it is but if there's anyone you guys really think it should be feel free to suggest, because it will be important later on


	27. January 27, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stahl does his best to be nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked my friend what character I should give a little focus on, and she said Stahl, so here ya go.   
> I like Stahl, but I just never end up using him. He's super cute and has an adorable personality, but he always loses out to my mages amd sword-wielders on foot -w-'

Stahl is very nice, but he isn't exactly popular like Chrom.

Usually he just hangs out with Sully, but she's been playing with Virion a lot lately, which means that Stahl has to play with him, too. (Well. He could seek out Miriel or Vaike, but he's really not up for the physical and mental exertion involved in that.)

The only problem is, Virion is kind of…

What's the word?

 _Annoying_.

Stahl is doesn't have the tact to say so, but it's definitely true.

And while Stahl knows that he's _supposed_ to be polite to _everyone_ , being polite to _Virion_ is _really, really hard_.

Sometimes, Stahl just wants to smack him in the face with one of the toy swords.

But Stahl is too nice to do that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goshdarned cat won't leave me alone while I type 
> 
> Um
> 
> Please comment  
> I need feedback  
> I live off of feedback  
> And yeah yeah yeah "you have to write for yourself and not anyone else" but I can't find much of a purpose to write if other people don't enjoy it. Sorry if I sound kinda desperate, but any kind of comment fuels me to write moooore ;w;


	28. January 28, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orphans cling to the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay okay okay  
> Henry is my favorite male character from Awakening and Tharja is my favorite female  
> What can I say, I fuckin love dark magic (Rolls into Fates, wails Leo's name)  
> So if I end up focusing a lot on the orphanage, I apologize in advance. They're just so fun to write about though  
> And until I can get them into the main story with everyone else (which will take several in-story years, haha, wake me up inside), I will. Focus. On. Them. A lot. 
> 
> That said, enjoy the chapter!

The orphanage is dark a lot of the time.

There isn't a huge amount of money in the budget, so the people running the place usually depend on the windows for light. It saves on energy use.

But for a group of children who have been hiding in the dark all their lives, this lack of brightness is almost a comfort; something they've come to be used to and even depend on.

Henry likes the dark, in his odd, playful way. He views it as he does the rest of life: like a game, a game of hide-and-seek where failing to hide long enough leads to dire consequences and succeeding is just a whole lot of fun. He relishes it, he basks in it. He always has a smile on his face in the dark- not that anyone can tell.

Tharja takes a quiet peacefulness from the shadows. She doesn't like pitch-black, rather, she stays just out of sight and watches others from afar. Tharja is a spectator, and she finds her silent, unreadable joy in seeing others either achieve the impossible or almost die trying, a common sight for the desperate, young, and impoverished.

As such, Henry is often attempting foolish or flat-out unusual things, taunting the odds; he mixes chemicals from the cleaning closet in an attempts to make a poison that will kill the beehive in the small fenced-in backyard, he dissects a dead toad using sticks and a sewing needle, he tries to pry open some of the air vents and pipes to see inside and prods through them with various objects, resulting in a near-deadly screwup of the water and heating system when all of the blockage and tampering nearly leads to an explosion.

Tharja often sees these things, and she's most entertained by them. Henry is curious, amusing, interesting, smart. He's not at all like the other loner, dumb, or delinquent orphans. At age five, he's already lost all care for how everyone else thinks and is exploring his world with no regrets or limits. Tharja is fascinated by him.

Which is why when Henry approaches her, the one everyone else calls “witch girl” and who always gets odd looks, and says hello, she doesn't immediately bare her teeth and growl or pretend she's going to hex him.

For the first time perhaps ever, Tharja says hi back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaay darknesssss


	29. January 29, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bam, bam, bam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ouch

_ Thump, thump, thump.  _

 

_ “Let me in!” _

 

_ Bam, bam, bam.  _

 

_ “Open the door, you ugly little runt!” _

 

_ Bang, bang, crash.  _

 

_ “Get your ass over here!” _

 

Robin closes her eyes like every other time, Robin bites her tongue like every other time, Robin holds her breath like every other time. 

 

She just focuses on tomorrow. 

 

She focuses on years from now. 

 

As long as she's not here, in this moment, she's okay. 

 

It was getting better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry Robin, i love you, but i also love to hurt you  
> rest in spaghetti, never forgetti
> 
> robin probably spends a lot of time focusing on the future , thinking about what her life will be like. i think that since she has a screwy childhood she fantasizes about having a family some day and being a good mom  
> think nice thoughts robin you'll be fine


	30. January 30, Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heart. Help. Hope. Happiness. Home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give sum feelz

Chrom is absent.

Robin is trying to focus on the letters on her paper, trying to learn them, but her head is swimming, and everything is once again being reduced to dots and squiggles.

She pounds her small fist on the table and hisses in frustration because _she's so stupid she's so stupid why does she have to be so stupid she's so stupid._

Ms. Auburn tries to help her, but Robin rips the worksheet away. Ms. Auburn calmly tells her to take a deep breath, but Robin is starting to gasp in a heavy, uneven pattern. Ms. Auburn puts her hand on Robin’s shoulder, but she yanks her body out of reach.

A few seats away, Frederick mutters something about being a misbehaving little brat.

Robin lunges across the table.

* * *

In the cool-down corner, Robin pulls her knees up to her chest, wrapping tightly in on herself. She can't cry. She only cries at home, in her bathroom, within the small window of time she has before Validar gets back from work.

A few yards away Frederick glares at her, cupping the cheek with the band-aid on it.

Robin hears someone slide to the floor beside her. She ignores them. They nudge her elbow, and she growls.

The person sighs, but doesn't move. After a few seconds they speak.

“A, B, C…”

Sumia.

“I already know those,” Robin hisses.

“Then say them with me.” Sumia’s voice is calm and quiet.

“A…”

Robin huffs.

Sumia tries again.

“A…”

Robin joins, begrudgingly.

“B, C, D, E, F, G…”

“H,” Sumia continues, but Robin stops. Sumia shifts to look at her. “Do you know that one?”

Robin shakes her head and grips her sleeves tighter.

“H,” Sumia says again. “For heart, hope, help. For happiness and home.”

“Happiness?” Robin asks quietly.

Sumia nods.

“And home.”

“Home,” Robin repeats, uncurling a little bit.

_Hope. Heart. Help. Happiness. Home._

_Happiness. Home._

_Home._

_Home._

_Home._


End file.
